英语博客：Glass Blowing.

 　　"It's the best place in Wenatchee," I said to my husband, as I described the new Pybus Market. This all-year-round(1) shopping center and farmer's market is the latest addition(2) to Wenatchee. It is a real step forward for this town which, up until now, hasn't had a substantial farmer's market. Also, because our climate has very cold, snowy winters, and very hot summers, we need a place indoors where shoppers can find fresh produce and locally made goods. But it's not only about food. There is a certain amount of art in Pybus. Past the rows of fruit shops, cafes, and a bistro, is a side door that leads to a very different space. The first thing you see is a huge, unfinished clay(3) statue of Mr. Pybus, the English immigrant who built the steel(4) building that now houses this market. Beyond him, is a very hot and colorful corner of activity: glass blowing. It's the first I've ever seen in Wenatchee. There is a long, glass display cabinet full of large, ornaments¹ of all colors of the rainbow. The craftsman² sits at the end, goggles³(5) on, holding a torch that has a white hot flame. He focuses totally on his art. He is melting a long stick of glass and shaping it into a flower. A small group of observers gather(6), and we all stand silently watching while he creates his art. When he finishes, he introduces himself and hands us some pamphlets, "We do glass blowing classes now down by the river," he says enthusiastically. Now that would be something unusual to try, fascinating, potentially dangerous, but also beautiful. I will return to Pybus, regularly I think, and perhaps eventually take a private class in that colorful craft.

　　1. 'All-year-round' is an adjectival phrase. Can you guess its meaning? Yes, it means 'all year long' or 'all year'.

　　a. They opened an all-year-round heated swimming pool.

　　b. The shop has all-year-round Christmas supplies.

　　2. 'The latest addition' is an efficient phrase that can be used in multiple ways.

　　a. That baby girl is the latest additon to their family.

　　b. The latest addition of the iPhone is now available in shops.

　　c. Do you have the latest addition of the monthly magazine?

　　3. 'Clay' is a super thick soil that can be used to make bricks and pottery⁴.

　　a. Some bricks are made of clay mixed with straw.

　　b. He makes clay pots.

　　4. 'Steel' is a very strong metal alloy⁵, made mainly from Iron.

　　a. The frame of the skyscraper⁶ is steel.

　　b. The film 'Man of Steel' is about Superman.

　　5. 'Goggles' are special glasses used in sports of all kinds. They usually have a rubber rim⁷ that has contact with the face.

　　a. Put your skiing goggles on so you can see when you come down the mountain.

　　b. These are the best swimming goggles I have ever bought.

　　6. 'To gather' means to collect.

　　a. We gathered the new flowers from the garden.

　　b. A crowd gathered outside the club.

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　　Need Skype lessons to improve your pronunciation and fluency⁸? Send me an email request and I'll send you the details.

1 ornaments   

n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The shelves were chock-a-block with ornaments. 架子上堆满了装饰品。
• Playing the piano sets up resonance in those glass ornaments. 一弹钢琴那些玻璃饰物就会产生共振。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 craftsman   

n.技工，精于一门工艺的匠人

参考例句：

• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。
• The craftsman is working up the mass of clay into a toy figure.艺人把一团泥捏成玩具形状。

3 goggles   

n.护目镜

参考例句：

• Skiers wear goggles to protect their eyes from the sun.滑雪者都戴上护目镜使眼睛不受阳光伤害。
• My swimming goggles keep steaming up so I can't see.我的护目镜一直有水雾，所以我看不见。

4 pottery   

n.陶器，陶器场

参考例句：

• My sister likes to learn art pottery in her spare time.我妹妹喜欢在空余时间学习陶艺。
• The pottery was left to bake in the hot sun.陶器放在外面让炎热的太阳烘晒焙干。

5 alloy   

n.合金，(金属的)成色

参考例句：

• The company produces titanium alloy.该公司生产钛合金。
• Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin.青铜是铜和锡的合金。

6 skyscraper   

n.摩天大楼

参考例句：

• The skyscraper towers into the clouds.那幢摩天大楼高耸入云。
• The skyscraper was wrapped in fog.摩天楼为雾所笼罩。

7 rim   

n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界

参考例句：

• The water was even with the rim of the basin.盆里的水与盆边平齐了。
• She looked at him over the rim of her glass.她的目光越过玻璃杯的边沿看着他。

8 fluency   

n.流畅，雄辩，善辩

参考例句：

• More practice will make you speak with greater fluency.多练习就可以使你的口语更流利。
• Some young children achieve great fluency in their reading.一些孩子小小年纪阅读已经非常流畅。